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Yesterday I introduced the Phonegap framework which allows users to add functionality restricted to native apps while developing using javascript on the Iphone. I also got my first hater on this site, thanks PreDeveloper!

Today I’m going to introduce a couple more frameworks. Tommorow I will get into how you can interact with Objective-C using javascript, and vice versa.

The second framework I’m going to introduce you to today is QuickConnect Iphone. QuickConnect allows you to develop using Havascript, HTML, and CSS, and provides detailed instructions on how to develop using Apple’s excellent visual web app development tool Dashcode, and turn those into “native” apps. An added benefit is that apps can also run on several other platforms, and maybe even for the likes of Predeveloper it will run on the Palm Pre too. I haven’t seen QuickConnect being used in an app yet, and I’ve only gone through a couple of the tutorials on the author’s blog.

The third framework is Big5. This framework does not seem as far along as Phonegap or QuickConnect, but it does supply the user with the ability to use the camera, location services, and accelerometer. However, I mention it here because it is very easy to use. The instructions however are somewhat limited in how to get your app to the app store, because the author wants you to load it up in the “Big5App”.

To sum things up, the 3 frameworks are:

Phonegap – Mature, used in many apps, works with Iphone, Blackberry and Android.QuickConnectIphone – In beta, works with Iphone, Android, Linux, Php, and Mac.Big5 – Mature, somewhat limited functionality, works through Big5App on Iphone.

Tommorow I’m going to get into interaction between Javascript and Objective-C on the Iphone so you can access nearly any Iphone functionality using Javascript.

It seems like there is alot of buzz around the Palm Pre’s ability to allow developers to use HTML, CSS, and Javascript to develop apps for the upcoming Palm Pre, and sell them in Palm’s AppCatalog.

Is that a big deal? My answer would be no.

The fact of the matter is there have been solutions that allow you to use the these web technologies in developing IPhone apps for quite some time, and you can add in features such as sound effects, accelerometer, multitouch, and more into your apps simply using Javascript while designing your interface in HTML, and then get your app into the app store.

Ok, so you don’t get the same performance as you would coding in raw Objective-C/C/C++, and you can’t access any 3D functionality, but how many 3D engines out there are written in Javascript? I would say that being able to use C++ and C are far more useful in that endeavour.

One solution that I know of for adding native functionality to your Javascript code and then shipping your app to the app store is Phonegap. Phonegap has been used in a number of apps in the app store, including graphical 2d games, and seems to perform well. Phonegap uses an MIT license. If you are a web programmer wishing to use Javascript, HTML, and CSS in your apps at this stage Phonegap seems to be the most mature framework for doing so on the Iphone, and not only will your apps run on the Iphone, but Phonegap also has solutions to add native functionality to Google Android, and Blackberry “web” apps.

Tommorow I will introduce a couple of other Iphone frameworks enabling development using HTML, CSS, and Javascript, and talk about how you can communicate between Javascript and Objective-C code.